Flashlight casing



Feb. 5, 1957 R. B. LAMBERT FLASHLIGHT cAsING Filed Jan. 7, 1955 INVENTOR. eff/BEN B. f4/Wafer 4 TTOE/fx FLASHLIGHT CASING Reuben B. Lambert, New Haven, Conn.

Application January 7, 1953, Serial No. 329,968

1 Claim. (Cl. Mtl-10.66)

This invention relates to flashlights and more particu larly to a multi-sectional casing for the same.

One object of the invention is to provide a flashlight which may be lbuilt up with any number of dry cells, having a head, a rear casing, and any number of spacer intermediate shells for connecting said head to said casing whereby said ashlight may have any desired length.

In the present invention, by providing a series of connecting spacer shells of any desired lengths, and a rear cup-shaped casing of any desired length, a liashlight of any desired overall size may be readily constructed.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive t-o manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very ecient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, two forms in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. l represents a longitudinal sectional view of a flashlight embodying the rst form of the invention in which the casing is assembled directly to the head for receiving a pair of dry cells.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second form of ashlight having an intermediate spacer shell section fitted between the casing and the head, for receiving three dry cells.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking rearwardly.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral (Fig. l) indicates the enlarged circular head of a flashlight, which head is adapted to receive the usual bulb and reflector (not shown), and to be energized by a plurality of dry cells 17 and 18. The head 10 is provided with a threaded front end 11, for detachably receiving a glass holding ring (not shown) which preferably is non-circular to prevent the flashlight from rolling. The head 1li also has an integral intermediate cylindrical section 11a, and

a reduced slightly tapered rear section 11b, upon which the forward end of a rear cup-shaped casing 12 is adapted to be tightly and telescopically tted, liush with said section 11a.

Located upon the intermediate section 11a of the head, provision is made of a slidable switch ring 13 having a central rib 14 and a pair of smaller ribs 15 and 16 located endwise of said central rib 14.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, an intermediate cylindrical spacer shell 19 is provided for connecting the reduced rear section 11b of the head 10 to the rear casing 12. The spacer shell 19 has a rented States Patent O duced slightly tapered rear end 20 for engaging snugly within the forward end of the casing 12 and the shell 19 is flush with the casing 12. In this form of the invention three dry cells 17, 18 and 21 are employed.

In both forms of liashlight shown in Figs. 1 and 2, provision is made of a rear conical coiled spring 22 for pressing the dry cells forwardly against the bulb held within the rear of the reflector in the ashlight head 10.

It is to be understood that the head may be permanently secured to the rear casing 12 or the spacer shell 19 by pressing, soldering, cementing or attaching lugs. It may also be detachably connected to said casing or said shell by means of interfitting screw threads formed on adjoining ends of said parts, so that the dry cells may be readily replaced by separating the head from the casing or spacer shell.

One advantage of the present multi-section flashlight herein disclosed is that it may be made at a considerably less cost than the former types of flashlight employing a one-piece casing. This is due to the fact that the irnproved multi-part casing may be constructed from tubular sections of metal, eliminating the necessity of forming a single cup-shaped shell in a draw press which involved expensive annealing and washing operations between successive draws.

While there have been disclosed in this specifica-tion two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modiied and embodied in various other forms without de parting from its spirit. In short, the invention includes al1 the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

In a multi-section ashlight, a cylindrical metallic rear cup-shaped casing, an enlarged forward bulb and reflector holding illuminating head having a threaded front end for detachably receiving a crystal holding ring, and an integral intermediate cylindrical section of the same diameter as said casing, and having its outer surface flush with the outer surface of said casing, the rear end of said intermediate section being reduced in diameter and slightly tapered to telescopically tit within and permanently attached to said cup-shaped casing, and a switch ring having a central outwardly extending manipulating annular rib slidably tted over said casing and the intermediate section of said head, said switch ring serving to cover and conceal the forward end of said casing and the shoulder between `the intermediate and reduced sections of said head at all positions of said switch ring, whereby said multi-section flashlight will give the appearance of a more expensive single piece flashlight'.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,253,846 Lyhne Ian. l5, 1918 2,165,602 Wood July 11, 1939 2,259,443 Geier Oct. 21, 1941 2,261,536 Wood Nov. 4, 1941 2,339,356 Sachs Jan. 18, 1944 2,704,804 Eames Mar. 22, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 975,335 France Oct. 11, 1950 

